A Dream Come True
by bulldogchik05
Summary: UPDATED! CHAPTER 10 UP! When a girl escapes from the orphanage where she was considered the leader, where will she turn? How will she cope with being on the streets? And will she be able to find the one person who is a key to her past?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. I never have and I never will. I can wish, but it's never going to happen. If I use any Newsie names you have written in your stories, I apologize in advance. I'm trying to be creative, but sometimes I think I am, and I really end up using a name from somebody else's fic.  
  
Author's Note: Please R&R. I love getting reviews. And the last time I posted a fic. I pulled it off because no one reviewed. If no one reviews, I think nobody's reading, so I'll pull this too, and just stop writing it. Also, if you would like to be in the fic. Just let me know. I need your Newsie name, your real name, which Newsie you like, your history, and any other info. you want to supply me with. Hope you enjoy! By the way, I'm horrible with the whole accent thing, so I'm not even going to try. Just imagine it's there.  
  
A Dream Come True - A Newsie Fic.  
  
Prologue  
  
The young girl sat in her window looking up at the stars. She had turned the windowsill into her own space and all of the other kids knew not to go over there.  
  
"God, if there is a God, if you ever are not too busy, would you get me out of here? It feels like I'm locked up - and I don't like that feeling." She said softly into the night. "I may be considered the leader here, but these kids don't need me. They'd get along without me. I want out." She whispered.  
  
There wasn't really anything special about this particular girl. She could fight okay when it was required of her - But she wasn't some excellent fighter. She only fought when she had to, or when she needed something that somebody else had.  
  
She also wasn't what you would call drop-dead gorgeous. Now, she was okay looking, she wasn't ugly or anything, but she wasn't a girl all the guys fell for either. However, she had one main attribute that made her stand out. And that was her kindness. She always was giving of herself. If someone needed something, she would do anything she could to get it for them. She would even sacrifice something she had, and go without, in order for someone else to have.  
  
You may be wondering, "didn't you say she was a good fighter? Well, why would she fight if she is so kind?"  
  
Well, she would fight in order to survive. You can't live on the streets of New York and not know how to fight. You would be killed in an instant.  
  
Now, back to the story.  
  
"So God, if you're out there, please give me a chance. Give me a chance to change my life, and make something of myself. Get me out of here." Her whispered plea cut through the silence like a knife.  
  
A noise from behind her startled her out of her quiet prayer. A young child, who couldn't be more than five, stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"What is it Squirt?" she asked softly, so as not to wake the others in the room.  
  
"I can't sleep." He said. "Butterfly's crying in her sleep - and then I started having nightmares." He finished the last sentence sheepishly, looking at his feet.  
  
"All right. I'll tuck ya back in, and sit with ya until you fall asleep. And I'll wake Butterfly up, and calm her down." The girl stood up, and took Squirt's hand. She led him back to his bed, and tucked him in. By now, Butterfly had woken up on her own, and had calmed down quite a bit. She was back asleep before Squirt fell asleep.  
  
The girl slowly made her way back to her own bed, and lay awake thinking.  
  
"God, please get me out of here." She whispered. She rolled over, so she faced the wall, and fell asleep.  
  
Her name? Her name is Pup.  
  
Author's Note: Yes I realize it's short, but it's the prologue. Hopefully the rest of the chapters will be longer. It all depends on how much time I have. 


	2. Running and Old Friends?

Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. I never have and I never will. I can wish, but it's never going to happen. If I use any Newsie names you have written in your stories, I apologize in advance. I'm trying to be creative, but sometimes I think I am, and I really end up using a name from somebody else's fic. I only own Pup, Matthew (who would want to?), Knack, Tops, Squirt, Butterfly, and Domino so far.  
  
Shout-outs: Kat: Thanks for reviewing! I appreciate it. And hey, now you'll get the story behind my Newsie, Pup. I may e-mail you, and ask you questions, if that's okay??? Hope so. Cynic: Also, thanks for reviewing. My hotmail address is currently down - I can read the mail that is sent to it, but I can't reply to anything. However, I have a new e-mail address at bulldogchik05@yahoo.com. So if you want to e-mail me there, you can. But if you already sent it to my hotmail address, that's okay, I'll still get it, I just won't reply to you from there.  
  
A Dream Come True  
  
Chapter One  
  
Pup ran. She ran faster than she had ever run in her life. She knew that the orphanage supervisor had sent Matthew after her, and at the moment, that was her main concern. Matthew was probably about three times her size, and seeing as how she was weak from hunger already, she knew for certain that she wouldn't be able to take him. Matthew was one of the older orphans who had gotten too old to stay there as an orphan per say. Instead, he stayed and was what you might consider an assistant to the orphanage supervisor. In other words, he did all of the dirty work. Matthew was the one who always would beat the children, and he was the one who would always take their food right from them.  
  
He was a monster. Whenever one of the children supposedly deserved to be beaten, Pup would usually somehow talk him out of it, or convince him to beat her instead. She had many scars across her back from the whip he would use more often than just his fists.  
  
Pup ran down the alley, and hid there until she was completely sure that Matthew had passed, and was searching elsewhere for her. She felt bad, leaving all of the other children without a leader, but she knew they would be all right. She had asked Scott, otherwise known as Domino, to look over the others. He had asked her why, and all she would answer is with "I have to get out of here." He knew she would run, he always had, he just didn't think that she would leave him behind in charge. He had always thought he would go with her. But she wouldn't let him.  
  
Pup slowly walked out of the alleyway, and began walking around Brooklyn, seeing what was there. She heard voices from behind her, and quickly turned around. Seeing only a few little boys walking, and talking loudly, she let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.  
  
"Pup, get a hold of yourself. You're going to be jumping at your own shadow if you keep this up." She scolded herself.  
  
"And if you don't stop talking to yourself, people are going to think you're talking to your shadow." A voice said from behind her. Pup jumped, and whirled around to face the speaker. Before her stood a boy of about fifteen years old. Younger than her, but yet he was about three inches taller than her.  
  
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" She asked, standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him.  
  
"Nothing, I'm just saying that you might want to be careful talking out loud to yourself around here. No one would hesitate to put you in a crazy house." He said, holding his hands up in a mock surrender gesture.  
  
Pup just rolled her eyes, and said, "Well, if you're through 'warning' me, I'll just be going. I still have to find a place to stay."  
  
"What's your name?" The boy asked.  
  
"Why's it any of your business?" She asked sharply.  
  
"Well, I was gonna take you back to the lodging house, and you could probably stay there. But I have to have a name to give to Spot." He said.  
  
"Spot? As in Spot Conlon?" She asked, surprised at the name she knew only too well.  
  
"Yeah, that's him."  
  
"So, I'm in Brooklyn?" She asked, a little confused. She didn't realize she had run so far.  
  
"Yeah. Did you hit your head or something? How can you not know where you're at?" He asked looking at her strangely.  
  
"No, I didn't hit my head, I just didn't realize I had run as far as Brooklyn. I don't even remember crossing the bridge." She trailed off, and continued muttering things to herself under her breath, trying to figure out how she had gotten there.  
  
"Whatever, so are you coming to the lodging house or what?" He asked, getting frustrated with her.  
  
Realizing he was being pushed to his limits, and that she had best not push him any further, she nodded, and he began to lead the way. It didn't take them long to reach the lodging house, and when they got there, she paused. She was a little nervous about seeing Spot again. The last time she had seen him. well, that was history now. No need going into that.  
  
"Hey Cowboy, I didn't know you were over here. Is it poker night or something?" The boy asked, when he saw Jack standing in the doorway, smoking.  
  
"Oh, hey Knack. No, it's not poker night; I just needed to talk to Spot. Who's the new kid?" He asked, gesturing to Pup who was currently standing in the shadows to avoid being seen.  
  
"Oh, this is Pup." Jack's eyes flickered with recognition, but quickly lost all emotion when Pup stepped into the light.  
  
"Hi." She said.  
  
"Your name is Pup?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"Yeah." She answered. She tried to maintain a straight face, though it was hard, she was shaking so hard, she thought she was going to collapse. She was surprised that Jack and the other boy, now dubbed Knack, couldn't hear her heart beating. Or maybe they could, and they just didn't say anything.  
  
"Sorry, I just used to know this other guy who was named Pup. I thought you might've been him. But I guess not." Jack said.  
  
"Oh. What happened to him?" She asked trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"He left." Jack answered simply. Pup nodded, but couldn't look Jack in the eye. She felt bad for not telling him the truth, but she couldn't. Not yet.  
  
"Come on Pup, let's get go introduce you to Spot." Knack said, taking her by the arm. Pup pulled her arm out of his grasp, and quickly stepped aside for him to lead the way. And lead he did.  
  
He led her up the stairs into the noisy bunk room. However, a whistle from Knack silenced the room.  
  
"Hey, any of you guys seen Spot?"  
  
"Yeah, he was in his room. So try there or the roof." One of the guys in the back of the room hollered.  
  
"Thanks Tops." He said, and headed towards a door that Pup knew led to Spot's room. She slowly followed him, gazing around her at the other newsies in the room. She knew probably over half of them, but there were some new faces she didn't recognize. She brought her gaze back to the door that was now right in front of them.  
  
"Wait here. I'll tell you if it's okay to go in or not. Seeing as how you have the same name as a guy who left here a few years back, I don't know if he'll be so willing to see ya." Knack said. He knocked, and heard a rushed "Come in." from behind the door. Knack disappeared inside.  
  
Pup stood there, not really knowing what to do with herself. She tried to hear what was going on, but she knew it was pointless. They wouldn't be talking loud enough for her to hear them. Spot never did. The only time he ever would be heard in the main bunkroom was when he was mad, and was yelling at somebody.  
  
All of a sudden, they all froze as they heard Spot yell "What!" and the door slammed open.  
  
"Pup?!" He asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes?" She asked, stepping forward.  
  
"Oh." He said dejectedly, when he saw that it wasn't the same Pup he thought it was. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else." He said.  
  
"Don't worry. The boy outside, I think someone called him Cowboy?" She paused, as though trying to reassure herself that that had been the boy's name.  
  
"Yeah, that's Jack." Spot said.  
  
"Well, he said the same thing." Pup finished.  
  
"Well, I don't know where that guy went to. He just up and left. But yeah, his name was Pup." Spot said. If Pup hadn't known better, she could've sworn she actually saw emotion flash through the cocky Brooklyn leader's eyes.  
  
"So anyway, Spot. Like I was saying, can Pup stay here tonight?" Knack asked from his position still in Spot's doorway.  
  
"Yeah, she can stay."  
  
Author's Note: Hey guys, so far I haven't heard from anyone wanting to be in here, I need you guys! Please!!! Help me out here! E-mail me! Or review. and hey, review anyway! Doesn't matter if you want to be in it or not, just review! Tell me what you think. Thanks! Oh and if you reviewed, and I didn't get you in the Shout Outs, it's probably because I didn't see it before I updated. Don't think I forgot you! 


	3. Morning, Raven, and Threats

Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. I never have and I never will. I can wish, but it's never going to happen. If I use any Newsie names you have written in your stories, I apologize in advance. I'm trying to be creative, but sometimes I think I am, and I really end up using a name from somebody else's fic. I only own Pup, Matthew (who would want to?), Knack, Tops, Squirt, Butterfly, Gambler and Domino so far. Raven owns herself (I'm just borrowing her).

Shout Outs: 

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Raven: Thanks for reviewing! I'll definitely try and get everything in there. Thanks for all the information! It makes my job a lot easier. 

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Brooke Lyn: As for the how everyone knows her – I'm not even sure of that at the moment. So I guess you'll find out when I do! Hehe. But thanks for the review, and I hope you keep reading! 

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Kat: Thanks for the information. I'll fit you in. And hey, maybe you'll get a bigger part in my story than I got in yours! Let's see, I was mentioned what, once? Twice? Just kidding. But you probably will be in here more. 

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Cynic: Thanks for sending me that e-mail! I replied back. So you should get it soon. I gave you all that I could think of, I think. And please don't forget to keep that one thing quiet for the moment… I haven't written that part yet, and I don't want it given away. Thanks! 

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Dreamer: Sorry about leaving you there, but I thought it was a rather good place to stop… I guess you didn't agree? Hehe. Thanks for the advice. I'll try and keep it descriptive! 

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Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me a few days to update. I've been extremely busy. But here's an update. Thanks again for all the reviews, and if you still want to be in this, let me know! I need more people! I've only got three at the moment, and information only on two! So help me out here! Please! 

A Dream Come True 

Chapter Two

"All right! Everybody up! It's time to get up!" The lodging house owner called, as he made his way up the rickety old steps. Pup rolled over, and remembered what it had been like here. She certainly didn't miss the 5:00 wake-up calls. She preferred the 6:30 wake-up calls of the orphanage. Mind, that was mainly because she was considered the leader, and no one wanted to have the job of waking her up. 

Deciding that reminiscing was too dangerous to do at the moment, Pup finally stood up. All of the boys had already headed to the washroom. She slowly made her way over there, and headed to the sink. Once the boys had realized she was there, they all dived for some sort of cover. 

"Relax, I'm not looking at nothing." She said, and went back to getting ready. Slowly, and reluctantly, the boys continued to get ready as well. Spot soon came in the door dressed in his typical red suspenders, and had his cane by his side. His hat was already on his head, and you could see his slingshot sticking out of his pocket. 

"Good morning Spot." She said, as she headed over to her bunk to get her hat, and some money to pay for her papers that morning. 

"Morning." He said gruffly. He wasn't exactly a morning person, and Pup almost laughed remembering the last time she had tried to actually wake him up in the morning. She wasn't sure why he was up so early today. It wasn't normal. 

"So why are ya up so early? I thought I remembered hearing that ya never woke up until after most of the boys left." She said. She wanted to tell him why she knew he never woke up. And she wanted to tell him who she actually was, but knew that that would never settle well with him. If he knew… well, it's best not to think of that. 

"Not true." He said simply, and moved towards the door. He headed down the stairs, and Pup moved to follow him. However, Knack stopped her. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were ya." He said. 

"Why not?" She asked confused. She had never been told by anybody not to follow Spot before. She had always followed him to the DO. 

"He doesn't seem to be in too good a mood today." He said, as if this should explain everything to her. 

"I was just on my way to get my papes. I wasn't planning on following him there. Although, it would be nice to know which direction I need to head. Could ya possibly point me in the right direction?" She asked. In all actuality, she knew exactly where the DO was, but she knew that they didn't know that. And it needed to stay that way.

"I'll do ya one better, I'll walk ya there." He said, and offered her his arm. She took it, and together, they headed off towards the DO. 

When they got there, many of the boys had already bought their papes and had begun selling. Pup began heading back over towards her old selling spot. 

"Have ya ever sold before?" Knack asked. 

"Yeah, plenty." She said. 

"Oh really? Where?" Knack was curious now. He had never met her before, and normally he remembered the girl newsies, seeing as how there weren't too many of them in Brooklyn. There were more in Manhattan, and ever since Raven had left the Bronx, there weren't any over there. He couldn't remember any in Midtown, Harlem, or Queens right off the top of his head, but he knew they probably had a few. 

"Around." She said simply, and shrugged her shoulders. Knack looked frustrated, but she wasn't going to elaborate on her vague answer. He didn't need to know who she really was. He was Spot's second-in-command, and she sure as well wasn't going to walk right into a trap. If she told Knack who she was, she knew he would head straight to Spot. 

All of a sudden, Pup froze. 

"What's the matter?" Knack asked confused at her sudden stop.

"No…nothing." She stuttered. *I can't believe I didn't see it before! Knack is Spot's second-in-command. Where did Gambler go? What happened to him? He had been Spot's second-in-command when she had last been in Brooklyn. Where did he go?* She wondered.

By the time Pup had gathered her thoughts, she realized she was at the DO. She stepped up to the window, and took her money out of her pocket. 

"One hundred-fifty papes, please." She said. She heard several of the newsies around her gasp, and murmur among themselves. The only other person who sold that many around here was Spot himself. Pup knew that, but this was how many she needed to sell. It was how many she always sold, and she was going to continue to sell that many. She headed over to her selling spot that had been hers when she was last here, and found a girl sitting there waiting for her. 

"Hey there." The mysterious girl said. 

"Can I help ya?" Pup asked confused. 

"Yeah, I think ya can." She said. 

"Well, can I know your name first?" She asked. 

"The name's Raven." 

"Okay, Raven, how can I help ya?" 

"Well, first of all, you can tell me why exactly you're here." She said. 

"Why are any of us here? We're all dirt poor, we don't have any family, and we're trying to make a living selling papes. That's why I'm here, that's why pretty much everybody who's a newsie is here." She snapped. She didn't know why, but she didn't like this girl. She didn't trust her, and didn't like the gleam in her eye. 

"Well, stay away from Knack." She said. 

"Is that a threat?" Pup asked. 

"You said it, not me." 

"Why do you even care? He your boy toy or something?" Pup asked. 

"No, he's my brother. And so is the leader of the Bronx newsies, Hunter, so if you don't want both me and the rest of the Bronx after ya, stay away from Knack." 

"Okay, fine, whatever. I'll stay away from Knack." She said, backing away. "Now, can I get back to selling my papes, or what?" Pup asked, irritated. She was irritated because this girl wouldn't go away, and she wasn't going to be able to sell her papes with her still hanging around. 

"Yeah, go ahead, but this is my spot." She said. 

"No, this has been my spot before, and it still is." Pup said. 

"No, this guy, Pup, gave it to me before he left, said he wasn't coming back, and said I could sell in his place." Raven said. 

"Whatever. Fine, I'll go find another spot." She said, and started walking away. 

"No, I'll leave. I don't have any papes to sell today anyway." She said, standing up as she did so. Pup just shrugged, and watched as Raven walked away. When she got a little ways from Pup, she paused, and turned around. 

"Oh, and don't forget to stay away from Knack." She said.

"Fine, I'll stay away from Knack." She said. Pup waited until Raven was out of sight, and then pulled her hair up inside her hat. It was easier to sell her papers as a guy. She started calling out the headlines, when she heard a loud gasp from behind her. 

"Pup?!" She heard a very recognizable Brooklyn leader's voice say from behind her. 


	4. Confrontations and Annoying Leaders

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. I never have and I never will. I can wish, but it's never going to happen. If I use any Newsie names you have written in your stories, I apologize in advance. I'm trying to be creative, but sometimes I think I am, and I really end up using a name from somebody else's fic. I only own Pup, Matthew (who would want to?), Knack, Tops, Squirt, Butterfly, Gambler and Domino so far. Raven owns herself (I'm just borrowing her) and Hunter (don't know where he came from, I just made up his personality, she gave the name).

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Shout **Outs**: **Kat**, **Cynic**, **Ivy**, **Elenya**, **Raven**, **FatBottomGirl**, **Deanie**, thanks for reviewing!!! You guys are awesome, and the reason I keep writing! That, and I need something to do during Final Reviews, cuz I don't want to pay attention…

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Author's **Note**: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I still have 3 days of school left (and I'm dying!!!). But after I'm out I should be able to write more. So bear with me for the next 3 days. And keep reviewing! And I need guy characters, and I still need a few girl characters. So please, send me any profiles you can! Thanks! 

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A Dream Come True 

Chapter **Three**

"Pup?!" She heard a very recognizable Brooklyn leader's voice say from behind her.

Pup whirled around, to see Spot standing there with a look of shock on his face. 

"Yeah?" She asked, casually slipping into the voice she had used when she had last been here.

"What are you doing here?" He asked outraged. He couldn't believe the kid had the nerve to show up after all this time. 

"I don't know. I was in the neighborhood and decided to earn a little quick money." She said. 

"Yeah, whatever. Where you been all this time?" Spot asked. 

"Here and there. Nowhere in particular." She said, shrugging her shoulders. 

Spot didn't know how 'he' could be so nonchalant about this. 'He' had shown up after being gone for a year and a half, and thought 'he' was just be accepted back into the newsie circle that easy? Well 'he' had another thing coming to 'him'. 

"Look Pup, if you think you can just come back here after all this time and be accepted with open arms, you can think again." He said, standing there glaring at her. 

Pup was stunned. She knew Spot would probably be mad at her, but she didn't realize he would hold it against her for so long. She had had a reason for leaving. And it was a reason she planned to keep from Spot. 

"Look Spot," she started, using the same tone he had used with her, "I had my reasons for leaving. Reasons that are none of your business. So you know what? Lay off!" By the time she finished, she was yelling at him. 

Unfortunately, she had forgotten how bad his temper was, and the last thing she saw was his fist coming at her face. 

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When Pup woke up, she was extremely disoriented, and quickly tried to get up. She also quickly realized that that hadn't been a smart idea. She realized she was still lying in the alley she had met Spot in. 

"Great, I gotta get back to the lodging house." She said to herself. She stood up slowly, having learned her lesson last time. She took her hat off, and tried to smooth her hair down as best she could. She then began making her way back to the lodging house. 

When she walked in, she heard a large gasp, and saw Knack coming toward her. She easily dodged him and headed over to her bed, Raven's words echoing through her mind. 

"Pup, what happened?" Knack asked, when he finally got to her bed, after making his way through the crowded bunkroom. It was full of boys sitting around drinking, smoking, and playing poker. Just the typical poker night, Pup recognized several of the Manhattan newsies positioned around the room. 

"Nothing Knack, I'm fine, don't worry." She said. She was upset that she had made him worry about her, and even more upset that he had. She wasn't used to anyone caring. The last person who cared what happened to her had been Gambler. 

Pup was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't realize Knack had left. When he came back, he handed her an ice pack. Only then did Pup realize how bad she must look. She stood up, and made her way to the washroom. When she looked in the mirror, she grimaced. She was going to have one heck of a shiner. *Spot, I swear, someone needs to teach you to control your temper* she thought. The thought of Spot learning to control his temper appeared funny to her, and she laughed softly. 

"Are you okay?" Knack asked from the doorway with a worried look on his face. 

"Knack, I'm not made of glass. One black eye is not going to shatter me." She said with a smile. 

"I know." He said, and moved to leave, a blush creeping onto his face that he was trying to hide. 

"Knack?" 

"Yeah?" He stopped, and turned to look at her. 

"I don't want to sound mean or anything, but I can't be friends with you." She said. She didn't want to give up the friendship, and she normally wasn't one to go down without a fight, but she didn't need all of the Bronx on her back either. 

A flash of hurt crossed his face, but quickly disappeared. He knew exactly what was going on, and slowly nodded his head. He was going to have to have a talk with his dear sister tomorrow. 

Pup pushed her way out of the washroom, tears filling her eyes. She ran to the stairs, and practically flew down them. It wasn't like her to show this much emotion. That was one thing all Brooklyn newsies knew, never show emotion. But it also wasn't like her to be this cold-hearted, and it hurt. She needed a friend, and knew Knack could be that friend, but she also knew that Raven would never allow it. 

"I hate you Raven." She choked out. 

"Oh really? I'm sorry to hear that. Here I thought we could become great friends." Raven said, as she stepped out of the shadows. 

Pup jumped in surprise. However, she quickly recovered, and glared at Raven. She knew if she stayed she was going to fight raven, and she didn't want that to happen. She began to walk away from her, towards the bridge. 

"I'm not done talking to you!" Raven yelled after her, "I thought I told you to stay away from Knack!" 

Pup stopped walking, and turned around. "I am. Don't worry, you don't have to worry about your brother." She said, and kept walking. 

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, Raven punching her. It took Pup a few moments to recover, and begin fighting back. For several minutes, the only sound heard was the sound of flesh hitting flesh. The girls were fairly evenly matched until Raven gained an advantage. She gained her brother's help. Hunter, from the Bronx, had shown up. Raven had sent a message telling him about this girl who had been messing with Knack. She conveniently had forgotten to mention that this girl was only 'friends' with him, and that Knack was returning the friendship. 

The last thing Pup saw before she passed out was Spot, with Knack close behind, running towards them. 

"What do you think you're doing here Hunter?" Spot asked. 

"I'm helping out family." He said, gesturing towards Knack, who was kneeling on the ground next to Pup. Raven stood off to the side, letting Hunter handle the situation. 

"What are you talking about Hunter?" Knack asked. 

"Raven sent me a note saying this girl," he motioned towards Pup, "was messing with ya. I decided to teach her a lesson." He said with apology in his tone of voice. 

"Messing with me? Raven, where on earth would you get an idea like that?" Knack asked outraged. 

"I'm just looking out for ya. I don't trust this girl. There's something she's not telling us." Raven said, defending herself. 

"Well, she doesn't have to tell you anything. Especially not after a beating like that. And you know what? You're not the leader, so she really doesn't have to tell you anything. Besides, what business is it of yours who my friends are?" Knack asked Raven. He didn't understand why his sister always had to screw up everything. After this, Pup would probably never speak to him again. Not to mention the fact that Raven always had to drag Hunter into the mix. She knew that he and Spot didn't get along, and the fact that Knack was Spot's second-in-command didn't put Knack and Hunter on the best of terms. 

"Well, fine then. But don't come crying to me when she hurts ya. Come on Hunter. Let's get out of here. I can see clearly that we're not wanted." Raven said, and started walking. She knew she wouldn't go back to the Bronx, but she could probably head to Midtown, or Queens. All she knew was that she wasn't staying in Brooklyn for the night. Hunter glared at his brother before speaking. 

"Nice job Knack. Trust me, she won't forget this one so easy." Hunter said, before taking off after Raven. 

Pup slowly came to. When she woke up she saw Knack and Spot standing above her. She debated whether to play dumb, and act like she didn't remember what happened, or to let on that she knew what had happened. Judging from the look on Spot's face, she decided playing dumb was the safer option. 

"What happened?" She was amazed at how weak her own voice sounded, she never showed her weakness, or at least, she tried not to. From the look Spot and Knack exchanged, they were amazed too. Or worried. Spot slowly picked her up, and without saying a word began the walk back to the lodging house. 

Pup enjoyed the feeling of being in Spot's arms. She felt herself becoming drowsy, and slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the cute Brooklyn leader who didn't seem quite so annoying anymore. 


	5. Secrets Revealed

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. I never have and I never will. I can wish, but it's never going to happen. If I use any Newsie names you have written in your stories, I apologize in advance. I'm trying to be creative, but sometimes I think I am, and I really end up using a name from somebody else's fic. I only own Pup, Matthew (who would want to?), Knack, Tops, Squirt, Butterfly, Gambler and Domino so far. Raven owns herself (I'm just borrowing her).

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Shout **Outs**: **Kat, Deanie, FidgetConlon, goldstranger, Heather, **thanks for reviewing!!! I appreciate it. Glad you find my story interesting enough to let me know you like it!

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Author's **Note**: Hey, it didn't take me as long! Yay! Anywho, only one more day of school left!!! Yes!!! I am quite excited if you couldn't tell. I really didn't think anyone would like this story, but I guess you do. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, and don't worry if you sent me a profile and you haven't been in here yet, I just haven't gotten there yet. Might be the next chapter. I don't know. 

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A Dream Come True 

Chapter Four 

Spot gently lowered Pup down onto her bunk. He couldn't help but notice how innocent she looked while she was sleeping. It was innocence that only sleep could bring. When Pup was lying on her bunk, Spot stepped back. He watched as she curled into a ball and began to cry out. 

"No, mama, don't go! Please don't leave me!" She cried, tossing and turning, causing the blanket Knack had placed on her to become tangled. Spot debated whether to wake her, or just wait and see if she would calm down on her own. Her next words, however, made up his mind for him. 

"Gambler? Where are you going? Don't leave me!" What started as a whispered plea, ended as a loud scream. Spot looked at Knack, then returned his gaze to Pup. By now, many of the other boys had gathered around Pup's bunk. 

"What's going on Spot? How does she know Gambler?" Tops asked, "he's been gone for awhile. Well, not gone, but you know what I mean. I thought the only ones who knew about all that, including what happened with Gambler himself, were the ones here when he was, and a few of the guys in Manhattan." Tops was one of the boys had been here when Gambler was around, and when Pup left. 

"I don't know. Everybody out, I want to talk to Pup alone." Spot told them. Immediately, everyone got up and headed towards the stairs. When the last boy had left, Spot shook Pup to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes. 

"How do you know Gambler?" Spot asked bluntly, although it came out as more of a command. 

"What?" She asked, wondering how he knew about that. 

"You cried out for Gambler in your sleep. How do you know him?" 

"It's a long story…" She said, trying to get out of it. She knew if Spot found out, she was dead for sure. 

"Yeah? Well, I got time. You show up, know people who aren't here anymore, and I want to know how." He said, determined not to let her off the hook. 

Pup took one look at him, and realized that this was a fight she wasn't going to win. "All right," she sighed, "I'll tell ya what happened. But first, can you get me my hat?" 

If Spot thought this was a weird request, he didn't let on. He walked over to a spot near the door where Pup's hat lay. It had fallen off when Spot had carried her in. He came back over and handed her the hat. Pup began gathering her hair, and put it on top of her head. Spot let his gaze wander, wondering if he was wasting his time. However, when he heard Pup clear her throat, he looked at her, and was shocked. There, sitting before him, was the same that he had punched just this morning. The same Pup who had walked out of the lodging house a year and a half ago, never to return. Spot was stunned to say the least. He had thought there was something Pup hadn't been telling them before 'he' left, but never in a million years had he expected this, that this 'boy' was actually a girl. 

"Pup?" He whispered. 

"Yeah?" She asked, with no trace of the 'boy' voice she had used to be found. 

"Oh God, I hit a girl!" He said, shame and fear written all over his face. Pup began to laugh. 

"How can you think that this is funny?" Spot asked, "I can't believe I hit a girl!" He exclaimed. 

"Spot, think about this. You gave me a black eye when you didn't know that I was a girl. Rave and that other guy soaked me pretty bad, and they knew I was a girl." She pointed out. 

"That's still no excuse. I'm sorry." He offered. 

"It's okay, but thank you." She answered, smiling. 

"You know that other guy was Hunter, her brother, right?" Spot asked her. 

"Yeah, I knew he was her brother, but I didn't know his name was Hunter." She said. 

"So, I guess I now know how you know Gambler, huh?" He asked. 

"Yeah, I guess so. Where is he anyway?" Pup asked, hoping he was still around. 

"Well, he left." Spot started. He saw Pup's face fall, and tears began to fill her eyes. 

"You know, he's the only one who figured out I was a girl? But yet, I never told him…" She trailed off, the tears spilling down her cheeks. 

"He's in Manhattan." Spot said, mentally kicking himself for telling her that. Though she may not have been as pretty as some of the other girls he had gone out with before, he felt himself falling for her. 

"What? Is he really?" She asked, with hope in her eyes.

"Yeah." Before Spot could tell her that he wasn't going by that name anymore, she was struggling to get up. 

"Relax, I'll take ya there tomorrow. I have business with Jacky-boy anyway. And you need rest." Spot said, wanting to delay the trip as long as possible. 

Pup consented, and lay back down. Soon, Spot heard her deep breathing signaling that she had fallen asleep. He got up and headed downstairs. 

"So what's up Spot?" Tops asked. 

"I need to see you, Knack, and all the boys who were here for the Pup incident. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I don't want to see you anywhere near the spare room upstairs. C'mon boys." Spot said, and led them up the stairs. Slowly the group separated until there were two very distinct groups - the newbies, and the boys who had been there for awhile. 

Now you may be thinking, "well how would Spot know if a newbie snuck upstairs?" Well, the truth was, he wouldn't, but none of the newbies, or any of the boys for that matter, dared to go against Spot. 

*Upstairs*

"Spot, what's this all about?" Knack asked, confused. He had been there for the Pup incident, but didn't know all the details. Only a few did, and he hadn't been one of the lucky few. And he didn't know what this had to do with the Pup here now. 

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Spot said, as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. Spot headed over to Pup's bunk, and began shaking her to wake her up. 

"Spot? What is it?" She asked. 

"I need to you to tell the boys, who were here when you last were, who you are." He said. Pup thought for a minute, and then slowly nodded her head. He smiled, and handed her, her hat. She gathered her hair, and transformed into the former Pup. He helped her up off of her bunk, and led her to the room. 

He pushed open the door to the room and led her inside. The room went silent. 

"Pup!?" Tops asked. She smiled, and nodded. 

Slipping into her voice, she said, "Yeah, Tops, it's me." Spot cleared his throat and gave her a pointed look. She sighed, and nodded. 

"Boys, there's something I need to tell ya." She said. 

"Is it the reason why you left? 'Cuz if it is, that doesn't matter now. You're back." Luck said. 

"No, it's not the reason I left. It's something else." Before anyone could speak, Pup took off her hat, revealing her long, dark red hair. The boys were stunned, much like Spot had been. 

"Gambler knew, didn't he?" Tops asked softly. 

"Yeah, he did." Pup answered back just as softly. Both were lost in their memories of what happened that horrible night. 

Spot looked between the two of them, wondering what they were thinking about. However, for the first time ever, he kept his mouth shut, and didn't ask. 

Pup soon bounced back, and said, "Spot, I'm gonna head back to bed. I want to be awake to head over to Manhattan tomorrow." She said. 

"All right." He said, and watched her head to bed. 

"Well, what do ya think of that?" Luck asked. Many of the boys were in the same awe that he was. They couldn't believe that the boy that they had all come to know as a friend turned out to be a girl. 

"Yeah, no kidding." Knack said in reply. 

The meeting broke up soon after and everyone separated to do their own thing. This lasted for about an hour until Spot stood up and told them to get to bed. All of the boys headed to their bunks. Spot remained awake in his bed staring at the ceiling. He was thinking of everything he had found out today. But what affected him the most was not the fact that Pup had lied to him, but the fear that had been in her eyes when she told him. 


	6. Thoughts, Pain, and Memories

Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't own the Newsies. I can still wish, but I'll never own them. Anyone in here that you don't recognize either belongs to me or themselves.  
  
Shout Outs: imaginelet and Deanie thanks for the reviews! I appreciate them more than I can say. You guys are the reason I keep writing. Hint Hint. Keep the reviews coming, or the updates won't be coming.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I had technical difficulties (my computer kind of blew up), and then I was gone this past week. I just got home today. But hey, at least I wrote some. I wrote about a chapter and a half on the bus ride home.  
  
A Dream Come True  
  
Chapter Five  
  
The next morning, much to the boys' irritation, Pup was wide-awake and waiting for Spot.  
  
"Pup, you need to be resting. You got soaked really bad. Can't your visit to Manhattan wait one day at least?" Tops pleaded.  
  
"Tops, what happened last time isn't going to happen again, I promise." Pup answered, knowing what was going through his mind.  
  
"You don't know that!" He exclaimed, and left the room. Pup sighed in defeat, and shook her head. She decided that it was probably best to just leave him alone for now. She wanted to comfort him, but knew that with the mood he was in right now, it probably wasn't going to happen.  
  
She headed over to her bunk in order to wait for Spot. He came up the stairs a few moments later. Pup looked at him confused, and then turned her gaze to Spot's closed bedroom door, then back to Spot.  
  
"Fire escape." He said simply. Pup understood. Tops must have run outside, Spot saw him and went after him. She nodded.  
  
"So you ready to go?" Pup asked.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to wait?" Spot asked hopefully. He didn't know why he was so jealous. All he knew was that he was.  
  
"Spot, I need to talk to Gambler. There's some stuff I need to tell him that I should have told him before I left, but I didn't. So now, I need to talk to him." She said, determined. Spot knew that once Pup decided to do something, there was no changing her mind. So he knew that he wasn't going to win this argument. He didn't have to like it, but she was going to go through with it with, or without, his help. He slowly nodded his head and let out a sigh of defeat.  
  
So together, Spot and Pup made their way out of the lodging house, and started making their way towards Manhattan.  
  
*God? Are you there? If you can hear me, which I figure You can since You got me out of the orphanage, would you help me? Give me the courage to tell Gambler. I want to tell him, but I don't know how he'll take it. What if he rejects me?* Pup wrestled with her thoughts all the way to Manhattan before Spot broke her out of her reverie. He stopped her before they reached the lodging house.  
  
"Um. Pup? You might want to go ahead and put your hat on." He suggested. They had decided that Pup would show up as the guy Pup, and leave as the girl. She quickly pulled out her hat, and twisted her hair up underneath it. She then put her slingshot that Tops had given her a long time ago in her pocket. To complete her ensemble, she grabbed Spot's cane, and took off running. Spot stood in shock, but recovered quickly, and took off running after her.  
  
Pup finally stopped running when she felt pain all over her body. It was ripping through her body like fire rips through a home. She dropped to her knees and started to hyperventilate. She sat there, trying to catch her breath, when Spot came tearing around the corner after Pup. The only thought crossing his mind being *Got to get the cane back*. However, the cane was the last thing on his mind when he saw Pup kneeling on the street.  
  
"Pup!" He screamed, and rushed to her side. He started calmly whispering in her ear, "It's okay. You're okay. Just breathe. Breathe in, out. In, out." He sat there silent, except for the soft whispering occasionally, listening to her breathing gradually slow down. He waited until her breathing was back under control, and then he began talking.  
  
"Are you all right? What happened? What were you thinking, running like that?" He asked. He was really upset. Spot didn't show emotions much, mostly only anger, so it surprised Pup to see him so shaken up. It kind of scared her.  
  
"I don't know. I'm sorry Spot." She said lamely. She knew it was foolish, and she couldn't come up with one good excuse on why she had done it.  
  
"It's okay, I was just worried. Seeing you kneeling in the middle of the street, barely breathing, isn't really something I like to see." He said smiling, and helped to slowly stand up. Pup smiled, and they began the rest of the walk towards the lodging house, Pup using Spot's cane as they walked.  
  
When they reached the lodging house, they headed inside. They said hello to Kloppman, and headed upstairs to the bunkroom. Because it was relatively late in the morning, the room was empty.  
  
"So, why didn't we go to Tibby's instead of here?" Pup asked confused. She had figured they would go there, and meet the rest of the boys for lunch.  
  
"Because, you are going to lie down and rest until they get back." Spot said.  
  
"What!? I don't want to stay here until they get back! That could be hours!" Pup exclaimed.  
  
"Exactly, meaning you can get a couple hours of rest before they get here." Spot said simply, with that unmistakable smirk on his face.  
  
"But." She started to protest, but Spot cut her off.  
  
"No buts. You're lucky I even let you out of the lodging house today after that soaking Raven and Hunter gave ya. Knack tried to convince me not to let you go." Spot interrupted, and told her.  
  
"Fine, but I still don't like it!" She said, and went and found a bunk to lie down on. She didn't really realize how tired she was until she actually tried to go to sleep. She fell asleep trying to stay mad at Spot, but she forgot why she was mad at him.  
  
When she woke up a few hours later, it was to the sound of footsteps thundering up the stairs. She looked around, trying to remember where she was when it all came back. Walking to Manhattan, stealing Spot's cane, falling, getting mad at Spot.  
  
*Wait, where's Spot?* Pup thought frantically looking around. *He wouldn't just leave me here would he? Wait, why do I care?* Pup was confused. *I don't like him like that. do I?*  
  
However, Pup's thoughts were interrupted when the mass of boys came into the bunkroom. Spot came walking out of the washroom, and joined Pup who had stood up by now. Everyone froze.  
  
"Pup?" Jack asked softly, with a look of shock apparent on his face.  
  
"Yeah, it's me." She said, slipping into her old voice. Questions came flying at her from every direction.  
  
"What are you doing back here?" and "Why did you leave?" were the two questions she heard the most. She smiled and decided to answer those two questions.  
  
"The reason I left doesn't need to be shared. That's something personal, that maybe someday I'll tell ya, but now is not that time. As for the reason I came back, I missed you guys. Plus, I hated where I was." She said.  
  
"Where were ya?" Jack asked. Pup smiled, as she thought about the reaction she knew she was going to get to her location during her absence.  
  
"I was in the orphanage. I got caught out on the streets, and put there. Don't really know why they didn't throw me in the refuge, but they didn't." She said simply.  
  
Pup had been right. She was hearing loud exclamations of disbelief from the occupants of the world. Spot felt like kicked himself. He had never even thought of asking her where she had been. And he certainly had never seen her at the orphanage. But then, he remembered. 


	7. Revelations

Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't own the Newsies. I can still wish, but I'll never own them. Anyone in here that you don't recognize either belongs to me or themselves.  
  
Shout Outs: Goldstranger, and KatFightOnSkis, thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome! I'll keep getting those chapters out ASAP. And hey, here come the reactions.  
  
Author's Note: Wow, I'm actually updating relatively fast this time. What am I thinking? Anyway, thanks for the review, and I hope ya like this chapter.  
  
A Dream Come True  
  
Chapter Six  
  
*How could I have missed that when I saw her!?* He thought. *She's the one who helped me get that newbie out of the orphanage that night after he got caught. From what I hear she got a bad beating from that night too. I'll have to ask her about that.* He thought, looking at her as she said hi to old friends, and was introduced to new ones.  
  
Just then, the one person Pup was there to see, walked into the room. He had his head held high, and he was in a pretty good mood. He was wondering what was going on, when he saw the large circle standing in the middle of the room.  
  
"Gambler?" She said softly, heading towards him, pushing her way out of the circle that she was stuck in the middle in.  
  
Racetrack, and several of the other boys in the room gasped at hearing that name after it disappeared a year ago. Nobody had used it in fear of what could happen.  
  
"You didn't tell him?" Jack whispered to Spot.  
  
"No, I didn't." He answered, and left it at that. Jack looked at him strangely, knowing that Spot was hiding something, but he nodded his head.  
  
"Pup?" Racetrack asked once Pup was standing in front of him.  
  
"Yeah, it's me." She said.  
  
"So are you actually going to tell them this time?" Race asked.  
  
"Yeah, I am. Spot, and the rest of Brooklyn, already know. I told them last night." She said.  
  
"By the way, my name's not Gambler anymore. I was put in the Refuge, so I had to change my name and move here. My name's Racetrack now. Or Race, if you're too lazy to say it all. Although with my luck, you'll probably end up calling me Track or something like that." He said.  
  
"Well, I really need to tell ya something Track." She said, putting emphasis on his name, and laughed when he groaned. "However, I am going to wait until later. Right now, it's time for the revealing of my true identity. Hey, at least I know Spot's not going soak me, eh?" Pup said, smiling.  
  
"No, but Jack might." Race joked.  
  
"Oh, I hope not. One soaking a week is my limit." She groaned.  
  
"Who soaked ya before?" Race asked, concerned.  
  
"Raven and Hunter." She explained, "Supposedly I was hanging all over their brother Knack. I wasn't, but ya know how they are." She said.  
  
"Is Spot going to do anything about it?" Race asked, trying to sound calm.  
  
"I don't really know." She admitted, "We never really talked about it."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna talk to him." Race resolved, knowing that he wasn't going to sit back and watch one of his best friends getting soaked by the Bronx. Pup smiled and reached out for a hug, and Racetrack gladly obliged.  
  
"Thanks." She whispered in his ear.  
  
"Not a problem." He told her. At that moment, Jack and a few of the other boys looked over at the embracing friends.  
  
"Whoa, I didn't know that you swing that way Race. I mean." Jack trailed off, laughing. Several of the other boys began laughing as well. Spot just stood there with a smirk.  
  
"Well Jack, that's the thing. It could be a perfectly normal relationship." Pup said smiling.  
  
"What?" Jack asked confused, and a little scared.  
  
"It could work," Pup paused, and began to reach for her hat, "because I'm not a boy." She finished with no hint of the boy's voice in her own. She took off her hat, revealing her long red hair.  
  
Jack looked as though he was going to have a heart attack. Spot looked amused, and Racetrack looked proud. The rest of the boys were pretty much reacting like Jack. They were shocked. Never once had Pup given any indication that 'he' was actually a she. Then Jack looked at Race and Spot.  
  
"You two knew about this, didn't you!?" Jack exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, I just found out yesterday." Spot defended himself, "so don't go getting mad at me."  
  
"All right, so you have an excuse, but Race, how long have you known?" Jack asked. Race looked at the floor sheepishly.  
  
"Um. since right before she left." He answered softly.  
  
"What!?" Spot yelled. "Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"Spot, don't jump down his throat, I made him promise not to tell anyone." Pup said softly, but forcefully.  
  
Spot looked at her, "why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"Spot, do you remember what happened right before I left?" She asked.  
  
"Kind of. It was a long time ago." He said uncomfortably, knowing where this conversation was headed.  
  
"And do you remember what you told me the other day?" She asked.  
  
"I can't believe I hit a girl." He said, knowing exactly what she was thinking.  
  
"Exactly. And if you remember, Tops and I got in a fight, a fistfight, right before I left. If you remember, Tops didn't come out the winner in that fight either. When Gambler found out the day before I left that I was a girl, he gave me a choice. I could stay and tell you myself, stand and he would tell, or leave, and no one would find out. Well, I didn't want everyone finding out, plus I knew that Tops would feel bad getting beat by a girl. Not to mention how bad he feels if he even yells at a girl, let alone, hits her. It was best for everyone if I left." She said, lying through her teeth.  
  
"That may have been true about the choice Race gave ya, but the rest of it sure ain't true." Jack said.  
  
"Yeah, maybe so, but I really did get in a fight with Tops, and you're right the choices he gave me are true, but you're right in that that's not the reason I left. I left for other reasons that don't need to be told at the moment. They will be told eventually, but I have to talk to a few more people beforehand, and tell them a few things." She said smiling, "Jack, I think there are only two times when you haven't been able to tell I was lying."  
  
"Oh yeah? When are those? Seems to me that I've always called you on your lies." Jack said, smiling smugly.  
  
"When I told ya I was a guy a long time ago, and when I said I didn't know the other Pup when I showed up here the other day." She said, loving the face that she was proving him wrong.  
  
"Oh." He said sheepishly. The rest of the room erupted with laughter.  
  
Once the laughter died down, the boys separated to do their own thing. Pup was about to go see if she could talk to Race, and tell him the truth, when Spot stopped her.  
  
"Hey Pup, ya want to go on a walk?" He asked. Pup looked at him, then looked over at Race, and then looked back at Spot.  
  
"Um. yeah, sure. I guess so." She said reluctantly. She really needed to talk to Race, but she supposed she could do that later.  
  
Spot saw the hesitant look in her eyes, and noticed her look towards Race. He wanted to kick himself once again. *Why do I keep pushing this? It's clear that she likes Race. Why do I feel this way? She's just another girl. And she's certainly not anything special to look at.* He thought confused. He honestly didn't know, and then it hit him. *I'm jealous of Racetrack! I, the most respected leader in all of New York, am jealous of Racetrack Higgins. What am I coming to?" He thought.  
  
"Spot? Spot. are you listening? SPOT!" Pup yelled at him. Spot quickly snapped out of his thoughts.  
  
"What?" He asked, as though nothing was out of the ordinary.  
  
"I said, are we gonna go on this walk or not?" She asked.  
  
"Oh, oh yeah. C'mon, let's go. There are a few things I wanna ask ya." He said.  
  
With that, the two of them set off on a walk. Now, normally Pup would have been thrilled to be on a walk with Spot Conlon. She had felt her feelings toward him change, and she had a crush on him now. It wasn't some little crush that goes away the next time some cute boy walks by either, it was a big one. She felt that she loved him. But knowing the way he was, she figured he would never fall for her. If only she knew how wrong she was. 


	8. Conversations, Secrets and Interruptions

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, I still don't own the Newsies. I can still wish, but I'll never own them. Anyone in here that you don't recognize either belongs to me or themselves.

**Shout Outs: **These go out to all of you who are still reading this! I know it's been ages! Don't kill me! 

**Author's Note: ** Again I say, I know it's been ages. I'm really sorry. I've been really busy, and just haven't had the time to write. I'm sorry! Hope you enjoy the update!

A Dream Come True Chapter Seven 

"So… um… Pup?" Spot started.

"Yeah?" She asked. She had been waiting for him to give some indication of what this walk was about. They had walked the last 15 minutes in silence, and it had been all Pup could do not to say something. 

"I really don't know how to ask this…um… I don't want to upset you by asking." He said nervously. 

"Spot, I'm not upset easily. I'm really not. So why don't you just spit it out?" She suggested. 

"All right." He paused, "um… how bad was the beating when you helped me get Rascal out of the orphanage?" he asked softly. 

Pup froze. Of all things she thought he would ask, that hadn't been one of the possibilities. She had of course realized that it had been Spot she had helped, but she hadn't realized that he would recognize her when she came back. She thought for a moment, trying to think of a safe response. 

"It was bad… let's just leave it at that, shall we?" she said softly. She hadn't talked about that night with anyone, and she certainly wasn't planning on starting now. 

Spot was both surprised and worried at her answer. That had not been the answer he was expecting. He had been hoping for a story recounting what had happened that night. Even a crying Pup saying how bad it was would've been better than the answer he got in Spot's opinion. He hadn't expected her to hide. 

"You can trust me Pup." He said, not really sure if that was the right thing to say. 

"I know Spot, but that night is something that I need to deal with on my own. A lot happened that I don't want to talk about, so if you will be as so kind as to drop it, I would appreciate it." She said, looking at the ground. She was speaking so softly that Spot was having to strain to hear her, and that was not something that happened often. 

"You have to talk about it. It's not good for you to lock it all inside like that." He said gently. 

"Okay Spot." She said, not really believing what he was saying. "Is that all you want to talk to me about? Because if so, I need to find Ga…Race." She said. 

"Yeah." He said dejectedly. He hated the fact that he was jealous of Racetrack, but he couldn't help it. He like Pup, and hated the relationship that Pup and Race had. 

Pup on the other hand was not aware of any of these feelings as she made her way to Sheepshead. She had known Race long enough to know that's where he would be. 

"Excuse me sir." She said to one of the bookies, once she got to the races. 

"Sorry, no girls are allowed to bet." He said sharply. Pup smile, knowing what his reaction was going to be when she said what she was about to say. 

"You never cared before." She said. She pulled out her hate and put it on her head. The bookie gasped. 

"Pup!?" He said incredulously. 

"Yup! That's me!" She said laughing. 

"Why I oughta… You little…" He was so shocked that he couldn't complete a sentence, just short phrases. 

"Anyway, I'm not here to bet today anyway. I'm looking for Racetrack Higgins." She said. 

"You found him." She heard from behind her. She jumped in surprise. 

"Track, you know it's not nice to sneak up behind people." She scolded, pointing her finger at his chest. 

"Yeah, I know, so you've told me before." He said grinning. 

"Ha, ha, very funny." She said. 

"I know I am." He answered. They both began laughing. This had been an argument they had had many times before. 

"Look, Track…" She started, but Race interrupted her. 

"I knew I never should've told you that. For the last time, my name is Racetrack, or Race, not Track." He said 'sternly', yet Pup knew he wasn't really serious. One way she knew this could have something do with the smile that was on his face. 

"Track, please, I really need to tell you something!" She pleaded. She was close to tears. She had no idea how he was going to take this, and it scared her to death. Race looked close at Pup and saw that she was close to breaking down. This worried him, as he had never seen her this upset before.

"Pup, what is it? What's wrong?" He asked gently. The gentleness in his voice sent Pup over the edge. The tears began to fall, and for several minutes, they didn't stop. "Did something happen with Spot?" At the shake of her head, he listed another possibility, "is one of the guys hurt?" She shook her head again, and managed to get herself under control. 

"I'm sorry." She said softly. 

"That's all right. I just wish you'd tell me what's wrong." He said. 

"I just don't know what you're going to say when I tell ya this, and…" She trailed off, trying to of how she wanted to word this. However she didn't have the chance to finish her thought when Trouble walked up. 

"Heya Race, heya Pup. Ya know, we should probably get back. Poker night in Brooklyn tonight ya know." 

"All right Trouble, we're coming." Pup told him. She looked at Race, her expression unreadable. They headed back to the Lodging House slowly. 

Race was irritated. *Why is it that I can never get that girl to tell me what's wrong? We always seem to get interrupted. But I am determined to get it out of her. Tonight,* he thought, *Tonight I get her to tell me what's going on. I mean, what could be so bad that she doesn't know how I'll react?*

The irritation Race was feeling was extremely similar to Pup's feelings. She was tired of always getting interrupted. As if it wasn't hard enough having to tell him as it was. Then on top of having to keep waiting or getting interrupted, it was wearing her down. She was beginning to think she wasn't meant to tell him, and he wasn't meant to know. 

***I know it's short, I'm really sorry! But I thought it was a good spot to stop, and this way you could go ahead and read it! **


	9. Poker Anyone?

**Disclaimer:** Do I really need one of these things anymore? I don't own them… I can wish, but it's never gonna happen, unless by some miraculous miracle Disney decides to sell the rights to them… 

**Shout Outs: **To Let, Brooke Lyn, and Spaz! Thanks bunches for reviewing! I thrive on reviews! Tell your friends… lol. Just jokin'.

**Author's Note: ** Um… nothing to note here. Except you better appreciate this! Two updates in like a week! That has to be a record for me. Maybe I'm just bored… I dunno. By the way Spaz, yeah, definitely send me your character info. – real name, newsie name, characteristics (personality and physical appearance), any relationships (u say spot you're dead! Not really but that's okay), and any relations. Oh and include any other tidbit (isn't that a fun word!?) info. that you want in there. My e-mail is bulldogchik05@yahoo.com. This goes for anybody that would like to be in the story, just send me the info.! 

A Dream Come True Chapter Eight 

Once they got back to the Lodging House, they got ready and headed over to Brooklyn. When they got there, the Lodging House was filled. They were spread out playing poker, some were playing, but others were only watching. 

Pup looked around until she saw Spot playing a game in the back corner. She should have known. It was his spot to play ever poker night, and therefore no one ever took it, for fear of being soaked. She made her way back there. 

"Hey Pup." He said when he saw her, but immediately went back to concentrating on the game at hand. It finally ended with Spot winning as was usual. The boy he had been playing against was obviously a pretty advanced player from the evidence that the game had been going on awhile. However, Pup didn't care about that. She pulled up a chair. 

"Deal me in." She said. Some of the other boys gasped. No girl had ever asked to be dealt into a game in which Spot was playing. Well, except for the one time when Raven had and was in an extremely bad mood the rest of the night after losing. She had never taken losing too well, especially not against someone with an ego the size of Spot's. 

"Oh shut up, and deal me in." She snapped, "It's not like he hasn't ever played me before. Although I'm sure he would rather forget it." She smirked.

"Oh yeah, I remember that game… that was the one where…" he was silenced by Spot's glare. 

"Deal her in." He said through clenched teeth. He couldn't believe she had had the audacity to bring up that game. It wasn't like he had known he was playing a girl. He thought he had been playing just some newbie who needed to be taught a lesson. Although it had been an embarrassing loss in itself because of that. But he really didn't want to remember it. He turned his attention back  to the game at hand. 

Thirty minutes later Spot sat staring at Pup's hand lying on the table. He had lost. He watched as she collected her winning. He watched as the boys congratulated her on her win. He watched as Racetrack picked her up and spun her around for winning. Lately, with the way he had been feeling, that would have sent jealously coursing through him. But the relationship between Pup and Racetrack was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He only had one thought racing through his mind. 

He had lost. 

***************

Pup was celebrating. She had beat Spot once again. She was glad too, because if she had lost, she wouldn't have enough money for her papes in the morning. 

However, the more she thought back on the game, the more Spot invaded her thoughts. What if because of her, he didn't have enough for his papes in the morning. She knew it sounded ridiculous, surely Spot wasn't dumb enough to bet *everything* he had, but then again, she had, why shouldn't he? After all, no one had beaten him in a long time. The more she thought about it, the more logical it sounded to her. 

She excused herself from the group she was surrounded by, and snuck away. She headed for Spot's room. She knew for a fact he was still downstairs playing, as she had made sure and checked before just barging up to his room. She snuck inside, and placed half of the winnings she had made from the game on his dresser. She knew it was foolish to hope, but hope she did. She hoped Spot just thought he had left it there, and not that she had given it to him. She didn't want the recognition or the belittlement that would surely come. He would somehow find some way to make her feel bad about giving him the money. Unfortunately, that was one of his talents. 

She turned and left, determined not to let Spot know it had been her to leave the money. Now she had bigger problems to face, what to do about Racetrack Higgins? 

***************

Racetrack watched as Pup made her way upstairs. He knew what she was going to do. She had done it before. If she would win big at a poker night, she would take half of the winnings, and give the other half to the loser of the game. None of the boys had ever figured out where the money had come from. They just accepted it, and moved on. They had figured that they had left it there from their selling, earlier in the day. 

Race shook his head at her predictability. No doubt she was feeling guilty about taking his money. She would feel as though he wasn't going to have enough money for his papes in the morning, and she didn't want that to happen. So she gave away her money. But that was Pup. She had too good of a heart for her own good. He didn't even want to imagine what had happened at the orphanage. Nothing good, of that he could be sure. She was so unselfish. She was willing to sacrifice anything, for anyone. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Pup coming back downstairs. He realized that it was time. It was time for whatever secret Pup was hiding from him to come out. He started walking towards her. 


	10. Long Talks and Surprising Confessions

**Disclaimer:** Do I really need one of these things anymore? I don't own them… I have a friend that looks almost exactly like Spot, but alas, I don't own him either… 

**Shout Outs: **Brooke Lyn, Let, and TheLoneReed. Thanks guys! You're awesome. 

And TheLoneReed, I really didn't think I left you with that bad of a cliffhanger, but I guess you thought I did… sorry. But wait til you see this one. It's a doozy. 

**Author's Note: ** Um… nothing to note here. Except, I'm running out of characters! So send me your info.! And if you already sent it to me awhile ago, but aren't in here yet, please write to me again, because I probably have lost it. My e-mail address is bulldogchik05@hotmail.com. So please e-mail me! I need your real name, newsie name, personality, physical appearance, 'ships, and any other tidbit info. 

A Dream Come True 

**Chapter** **Nine**

Pup saw Race walking towards her and could see in his eyes that he knew. He knew where she had gone, and knew what she had done. He always told her that she was too nice. *Oh well* she thought, *I suppose it's true* Now all she wished was that he knew what she needed to tell him too. That way she *wouldn't* have to tell him. She was terrified and really didn't want to tell him, but she could tell by the look on his face that the time had come to tell him. 

She started walking towards him as well, feeling as though she were walking on rubber legs rather than her own. She hated the fear she felt, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She had tried. It never worked unfortunately. The fear only came back. 

Race watched as Pup slowly made her way towards him, and saw the fear in her eyes. He wondered, not for the first time, what made her fear his reaction so. It just didn't make any sense to him. She had never feared him before… He looked closer and realized that she was shaking. Considering that it was nowhere near cold in the Lodging House, which meant it was most likely from her terror. 

The two met near the middle of the room. No words were spoken, but the meaning was implied. It was time. They would go talk at their spot. No talking before. They turned and left the lodging house unaware of the watchful eyes that watched them leave. 

Spot looked up as Race and Pup turned and walked out. He felt an unnatural rage of jealousy well up inside of him. He just didn't understand why seeing those two together made him feel so jealous. Knowing he wouldn't be able to play, or at least play and win, until they returned, he got up and walked outside. He saw Pup and Race near the end of the street. He decided to follow them and see just what was going on. He slowly followed so as to not be detected by either one. 

Pup and Race walked in silence until they reached Central Park. They made their way over to "their" tree, never speaking, and never noticing Spot following them. They made themselves comfortable, relaxing in each other's company. Race was the first to break the stillness. 

"Pup, I really wish you would tell me what's going on. You're really worrying me." He started. Pup stared at the sky as though trying to figure out how to answer. She stayed quiet for so long, he thought that she hadn't heard him until she spoke. 

"Track, what's going to become of us all?" She asked him. Of all the things he had been expecting, that was most definitely not one of them.  

"What do you mean?" He asked, not bothering to correct her on his name, knowing that it was pointless. 

"Well, we're slowly, but surely, getting older. None of us have parents. We can't be Newsies forever ya know? What's going to happen to us?" She asked, looking over at him. 

Spot was hiding in the bushes, and listening to her and Race. She really did have a point. What would they do once they were too old to be Newsies? He had never really thought about it. He figured that Jacky-boy would go to Santa Fe, and Race might work at Sheepshead, but what about the rest of them? What would they do? What would he do? He almost groaned, it was too late and he was too drunk to be thinking about this stuff. He decided to put it off and think about it when he was coherent, not to mention sober. He tuned back into the conversation to hear Race say. 

"What brought this up Pup?" Spot guessed he had said something before that but he didn't know what it had been. 

"I don't know." She sighed. (AN: Neither do I! So we'll just see where this goes, shall we?) "I was just thinking about where we'll all be in a few years. I mean, now that people know I'm a girl, there are a lot of things I can't do." 

"There are still plenty of things you can do." He said, wondering where exactly she was going with this. (He's really not the only one. Let me tell ya). 

"Where do you plan on going?" She asked. 

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it." He answered. 

"Do you want to leave New York?" 

"I don't know. Pup what is this all about?" Race asked frustrated. 

Spot meanwhile really didn't want to know. With all the questions she was asking, it sounded like she was going to tell him she like him. And that was one thing he didn't want to hear. 

Just then, it seemed as though she completely changed the topic of discussion. 

"I found out some things before I left that I really should have told ya. But I didn't. I didn't know how you'd react and so I just ran. I didn't know what to do, so I took the coward's way out and ran. And then when I was taken to the orphanage, I only confirmed what I found out before." 

"Pup, you're speaking in riddles. What are you on about?" Race interrupted. 

Pup looked at him, with tears in her eyes, before mumbling four words he never thought he would hear. 

"Track, you're my brother." She said. 


	11. Confrontations and Tears

**Disclaimer:** *looks around* *whispers: Spot, Jack, and Race are locked in my basement, shh!!!* Actually they're not… I don't own anything… I can wish, but it's never gonna happen.   

**Shout Outs: **

**TheLoneReed – **so I'm a dork and a fool huh? That would probably hurt if I was still in like the 5th grade huh? Just kidding. I should just not post this just to make you mad, but I'm still posting. And it's not *that* bad of a cliffhanger. At least I don't think so. Let me know what you think! 

**Brooke Lyn – **If you had expected it, there would be no fun in my job. Now would there? Thank for the reply! Do it again! Please??? 

**Just Duck** – "What the fork?" I like it. Interesting… lol. Thanks for the reply. And here's an update. I'm not just leaving it. And I thought my cliffhanger wasn't that bad…. Lol. Actually I knew it was, but whatever. Hope you like it!   

**Author's Note: ** Um… nothing to note here. Except, I'm running out of characters! So send me your info.! And if you already sent it to me awhile ago, but aren't in here yet, please write to me again, because I probably have lost it. My e-mail address is bulldogchik05@hotmail.com. So please e-mail me! I need your real name, newsie name, personality, physical appearance, 'ships, and any other tidbit info. 

A Dream Come True 

**Chapter** **Ten**

"Track, you're my brother." Pup said. 

Race heard the words, but it took awhile to register them. Pup just stood there terrified that he was going to laugh, or yell, or something. She didn't get what she expected though. She certainly hadn't expected complete silence. She wasn't sure which was worse. 

"Track? Say something? Please?" She pleaded. Race snapped out of his stupor and registered one thought. 

He had a sister. 

Spot heard the words that Pup spoke, and wanted to jump for joy. Pup wasn't in love with Racetrack. She was his sister! He felt all of his jealousy fade, and slowly snuck away so as to leave them to talk. He also plenned on coming up with a way to tell Pup he liked her. 

Race was having a hard time believing that the girl standing in front of him was his sister. The girl that his family had thought was lost forever. 

"Ashley?" He whispered. 

"Yeah. That's me." She said softly, still unable to tell how he felt about all of this. 

Race continued to stare at her, hardly breathing, and not knowing what to do. After all these years he had found the one person he had never thought he'd see again. He looked into her eyes and saw the terror she was trying desperately to hide. But all he felt was anger. 

"That's why you left, isn't it? You were scared of me. So you left." He spat. Pup flinched and tried to turn away, but Race wouldn't allow her to. 

"Track, I…" She started but Race cut her off. 

"I don't want to hear your excuses! Did you not think that maybe I deserved to know the truth? Oh wait, I forgot, thinking is too hard of a concept for you. You don't know how to think. Or else you wouldn't have left and you would've told me as soon as you found out!" He was yelling at her now. He knew he was being a prat, but he couldn't stop. Pup's eyes filled with tears until they overflowed. She had hoped she'd been wrong about him being mad, but she wasn't. She turned away and ran. She ran to the lodging house with tears running down her face. She ran up the stairs and crumpled to the floor sobbing.

Spot and Jack were in the middle of a game when they saw Pup come in. They saw the look on her face and tears falling and knew something had happened. They looked at each other, and then ran upstairs. What they saw broke their hearts. 

Pup was sitting on the floor, sobbing, and crying out 'why'. Spot knelt down beside her and she latched onto him, crying into his shirt. He looked up at Jack, and nodded. Jack went and sat on the stairs to guard against anyone going up. 

Race was still sitting in Central Park staring at the spot where Pup had been. He had screwed up royally. He had only confirmed her fears were justified. By blowing up at her, he only proved that she had a reason to fear him. *What am I gonna do?* he asked himself. 

About an hour after Pup attached herself to Spot's shirt, she fell asleep, exhausted. He picked her up and took her to his room. He laid her on his bed and tried to walk out the door. However, even in sleep, she wouldn't let go. So he picked her up again and walked back towards Jack. Jack looked up as they reached him. 

"Is she okay? What happened?" He whispered, so as not to wake her. 

"I don't know Jacky-boy. She upset. Really upset. And I don't know what happened. She didn't stop crying long enough to tell me." Spot answered. He was worried .What had happened to the Pup they all knew and loved. 

*She turned back into a girl* Spot thought. The girl in his arms was no longer the strong boy they had all counted on, but the girl who had seen more in her short life than any girl should ever have to. He didn't know what had happened to her in the orphanage, but he knew that it was most likely something horrible. 

Racetrack slowly made his way back to the lodging house, after having thoroughly practiced the apology he was going to give Pup. He didn't know if she was going to forgive him, but he could hope. 

As he walked into the Lodging House, the room went silent. Everyone was staring at him. He was just about to ask what was going on when he saw a fist coming at him. 

Jack saw as Race came in and knew he had something to do with why Pup was so upset. He had seen them leave together earlier. Everyone had. He had thought maybe something had happened to him, and had sent a few boys out to look for him. But he appeared to be fine. He began to get a little upset. Because if nothing had happened to him, then that meant that he had said something. He felt the need to soak him, and stood up. He paused long enough to tell one of the guys to go find Trouble and Junior, the two he had sent after Race. He then continued walking towards him. 

The room grew silent as Jack walked up to Race, glaring at him. He then did something they never expected. Jack punched him. 

Spot sat next to Pup as she slept, wondering what had happened to make her so upset. He started looking around his room, and noticed something sitting on his dresser. He walked over and saw that it was money. He knew he hadn't left it there and began to count it, having his suspicions on where it came from. Sure enough, it was half of the money Pup had won in the poker game. 

"You're too nice Pup." He said softly to himself. "How did you manage playing a tough newsie all those years?" 

"I did what I had to in order to survive," came the soft reply. Spot jumped. 

"I didn't realize you were awake." He said going back over next to the bed, "thanks for the money by the way. But you really didn't have to." He said. 

"I know." She said, "I wanted to." Spot smiled, knowing she probably thought he wouldn't have any money for tomorrow if she didn't give it to him. He began to realize that he knew how she would feel in certain situations. He hadn't known the real her for very long, but it felt like he had known her forever. 

"Pup, will you tell me what happened to make you so upset?" He asked gently, trying not to upset her more. 

Pup was confused. Where was the Spot who would make fun of her for giving him the money and make her feel bad? Where was the Spot who would force her to tell him? Who was this, and what had he done with Spot? 

Then Pup realized that she had been asked a question, and everything came flooding back. Telling Race, him being mad, and running away, again. She felt tears fill her eyes again as she looked at Spot. 

At first Spot didn't think that Pup had heard the question. She had a very confused look on her face. However, it turned to sadness and Spot saw her eyes fill with tears again. And so, for the second time that day, he held her while she cried. 

Meanwhile, downstairs, Jack was being restrained by Trouble and Knack. Racetrack was trying to get at him, but Blink and Dutchy were holding him back. 

"Whoa, Jack, what's going on?" Trouble asked him, still trying to keep him away from Race. 

"What did you do to her?" Jack screamed at Race. "What did you do to Pup that she is so upset she can't even talk?!" 

Race froze. And then slumped to the floor. He held his head in his hands mumbling, "what have I done?" over and over again. 

In seeing Race on the floor, trouble and Knack let Jack go. He stood over Race before stooping down next to him. 

"What happened Race?" He asked, the anger gong from his voice. 

"I yelled at her. I said horrible things to her. She probably hates me now. She was so scared. So scared." He said, caught in his memory. 

"What was she scared about/" Jack pushed, hoping to find out what was going on. He hated mysteries, and this was way too close to one for his liking. 

"She wanted to tell me, wanted so bad to tell me. So she did. But she was so scared of how I would react. She said that you know. She said that she was scared of how I would react. She started asking all of these weird questions. I got so frustrated that she wouldn't just tell me. And then she finally did. And oh god, I wish she hadn't. I wish she hadn't. I proved she had a reason to be scared. I yelled at her. I called her a coward for leaving. She ran but not before I saw the terror and the tears. Oh god, what have I don't?" Race was sobbing now. He was rocking back and forth in the middle of the lodging house floor sobbing. 

All of the boys stood there watching. They were in shock at seeing their friend in this state. They wanted to leave. They wanted to turn away, but they couldn't. They wanted to help, but they were frozen in place. They were too sucked in. They couldn't do anything but stare. 

"Jack?" Race said. 

"Yeah?" 

"How could I do something so horrible? How could I have yelled at her? She trusted me, and I betrayed her. I'm a horrible brother." Race said looking at him, eyes still glazed over with tears. 


End file.
